Subject: Electric Green Beetle
Geographic location of the bug: Cozumel Mexico
Date: 10/02/2018
Time: 10:38 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hey guys!
I found this little guy (he’s one inch long from his face to his back end) on the sidewalk and was wondering what he is exactly.
I’ve never seen one so vibrant in person before.
How you want your letter signed: Aaron Edgar
Dear Aaron,
We have been trying intermittently, to identify your green Scarab Beetle for days, but the best we can do at this time is provide you with the family Scarabaeidae. Though it superficially resembles the Green Fruit Beetle or Figeater, we do not believe your individual is in the same genus, Cotinis. Perhaps one of our readers will have better luck than we have had.
I think the correct name of the figeater is Cotinis. If it’s not Cotinis, I’d say Allorhina sp.
Thanks Cesar. The images seem to lack the brown edge on the elytra that is often found on Cotinis species. I’m not seeing any images online in genus Allorhina that look close. Have you any links to share?
It seems that some specimens of C. mutabilis lack the lighter edges: http://www.thehibbitts.net/troy/photo/misc_arthropods/cotinis_mutabilis.htm
The revision of Allorhina is not open to read, but this is male and female A. scabriusca, the image will download automatically: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brett_Ratcliffe/publication/276927063/figure/download/fig14/AS:668640177307660@1536427649447/31-Allorrhina-scabriuscula-habitus-30-Male-31-Female.jpg
But check this file of the University Of Nebraska: http://museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/Scarab-Course/Peru-2012/Lectures/CETONIINAE%20Cave.pdf
It seems to have images of all known New World Gymnetini genera: http://museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/Scarab-Course/Peru-2012/Lectures/CETONIINAE%20Cave.pdf
By elimination, these seem to be the best guesses.
Thanks Cesar. I was trying to thank you yesterday, but WTB? was having technical difficulties.
It seems that some specimens of C. mutabilis lack the lighter edges: http://www.thehibbitts.net/troy/photo/misc_arthropods/cotinis_mutabilis.htm
The revision of Allorhina is not open to read, but this is male and female A. scabriusca, the image will download automatically: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brett_Ratcliffe/publication/276927063/figure/download/fig14/AS:668640177307660@1536427649447/31-Allorrhina-scabriuscula-habitus-30-Male-31-Female.jpg
But check this file of the University Of Nebraska: http://museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/Scarab-Course/Peru-2012/Lectures/CETONIINAE%20Cave.pdf
It seems to have images of all known New World Gymnetini genera: http://museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/Scarab-Course/Peru-2012/Lectures/CETONIINAE%20Cave.pdf
By elimination, these seem to be the best guesses.